Bottle arranging machine



y 13, 1952 L. WlMMER I BOTTLE ARRANGING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1947 INVENTOR Zuawzy M'nzmer TTORNEYS May 13, 1952 L. WIMMER BOTTLE ARRANGING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 24, 1947 INVENTOR Zud'wfy M'rvmer ATTORNEYS y 3, 1952 WIMMER BOTTLE ARRANGING MACHINE Filed Oct. 24, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet nae INVENTOR Lad /{y M'znmer A f RNEYS Patented May 13, 1952 BOTTLE ARRANGING MACHINE Ludwig Wimmer, Middletown, Conn., assignor, by

mesne assignments,

to Emhart Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application October 24, 1947, Serial No. 781,877

11 Claims.

This invention relates to article handling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for arranging or rearranging oblong articles, such as fiat bottles, from a single line to a plurality of lines.

In the handling of bottles it is customary, after they leave the filling and closing machine, to convey them to apparatus for packing in shipping cases. Such packing apparatus usually receives the bottles in the charge-forming enclosure in a plurality of rows corresponding to the arrangement of the bottles in the case. For example, if the case holds 48 bottles arranged in eight rows of six bottles each, it is often convenient, particularly when the bottles are of flat or oblong configuration instead of being round, to feed the bottles into the charge-forming enclosure in six parallel rows. The bottles usually come from the filling apparatus in a single row or line, and it is therefore necessary to rearrange this single line into six lines.

When handling round bottles such rearranging can be done by comparatively simple mechanism or devices. With oblong articles or bottles, however, the problem is not so simple and more complicated mechanism is required. The primary object therefore of the prevent invention is to provide an improved mechanism for changing or rearranging a single line of oblong articles such as bottles into a plurality of lines.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a rearranging apparatus for oblong articles which is particularly adaptable for use in connection with a packing machine for packing such articles in shipping cases.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rearranging apparatus of this sort for oblong articles which is of rugged construction and capable of operation for long periods of time without attention, in keeping with the characteristics of the article packing apparatus with which it may be used.

The invention will be understood from a consideration of the accompanying drawings which, by way of example, illustrate two of its embodiinents. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bottle packing machine for packing bottles in shipping cases with the bottle arranging mechanism of the invention shown in association therewith at the right;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 with parts broken away for better illustration;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with certain parts in different positions;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the parts shown in difierent positions;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the parts in still different positions;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. '7; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view similar to the right-hand portion of Fig. 1 showing a modification.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 an apparatus for packing bottles in shipping cases which is arranged to place an entire charge or tier of bottles in the shipping case at one operation. Such a packing machine is shown and described in detail in U. S. Patent No. 2,219,827, granted October 29, 1940, to W. D. Kimball and C. I. Braren, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. Reference to that patent may be made for a complete understanding of the details of the construction and operation of this machine. It is sufficient here to indicate the general arrangement of the parts and effect of their operation.

A wide endless conveyor belt I is arranged to travel from right to left over a horizontal supporting table which is carried on a suitable framework. Belt l is trained over a driving pulley 2 at the left-hand end and an idler pulley 3 at the right, suitable supporting and take-up pulleys being provided for the lower side or reach of the belt. Conveyor belt I is continuously driven by means of an electric motor 4 which is connected to drive the shaft of driving pulley 2 by suitable chain and belt connections including a speed-reducing mechanism 5 having an output or slow speed shaft 6.

The bottles to be packed in the shipping case 7 are advanced by the conveyor belt I between a series of spaced vertical guides 8 forming six lanes indicated by reference numeral 9. These lanes correspond in number to the number of rows of bottles in the packed case. The bottles in lanes 9 are carried into a charge shifting frame indicated by numeral M which consists of a series of vertical plates l I supported in fixed relation on the same spacing as guides 8. Bottle supporting rails I2 are positioned below frame In and opposite the centers of the several lanes 9 and their upper surfaces are at the same level 3 as conveyor I so that the bottles advanced by the conveyor slide onto these rails.

The plates ll of the charge shifting frame.)

are suspended from two parallel rods l3 and the bodily movement of the frame is accomplished by a shifting of these rods it caused by appropriate operative connections with a rotating cam l4. Cam [4 is mounted on one end of a cross shaft l5 and the opposite end of this shaft has a sprocket [B which is chain connected to the slow speed shaft 6 of speed reducer 5. When a full charge of bottles has been received within the charge shifting frame Hi the frame is shifted to bring the plates l 1 into vertical alignment with rails 12, and the charge descends by gravity between rails 12 into the shipping case 1 which has previously been raised by a movable platform to a suitable elevation to receivethe charge.

The shifting movement of frame it is caused to take .place by means of a series of detector fingers H, at the head of each'lane of the charge shifting f'r'airie. When all of the lanes are full each of these fingers is actuated by the foremost bottle and this releases a latching device which permits a spring (not shown) to move the frame It under the control of cam Hi. It will be understood that while the article 7 handling apparatus of this invention for changing a single line of oblong articles, such as flat bottles, into a plurality of lanes is illustrated in connection with the bottle packing apparatus described above, it may also be used for any purpose 'Wh'eieitis desired to divide a bottle line into one'or more lines.

As shown in Figs. 1 and'Z a singie line of fiat bottles is advanced with the bottles Standing in upright position and in contact'with one another alonga support 58 and between parallel guides l9. This forms a slide conveyor which delivers the single line-of bottles onto the surface of conveyor belt I, preferably adjacent one side edge thereof. Guides l9 extend over the surface or belt I and then bend or curve forming deflecting members 20 to deflect the bottles at an angleof, rerexample, 45, across the width of belt I. Guides it extend over the belt a suflicient distance to allow enough bottles in the straight portion of guides IE! to rest upon the belt to propel the bottles ahead of them across the belt.

As: the bottles leave the deflecting members 29 they are received within a series of pivoted article -or'bottle turning devices, indicated generally by numeral 2!, and shown in detail in Figs. 3

to 7 inclusive. Each of these turning devices comprise an inverted U-shaped member (see Fig. 7-) having; a pair of flat downwardly extending leg portions 22 adapted to receive the flat sides of the oblong article or bottle between them. Each of these U-shaped members is provided at its upper end with a pivot shaft 23 (Fig. 3) which pivots in an elongated bearing 24 secured to the lower surface of a supporting plate-like member 25-. V

Plate like support 25 may extend diagonally across the conveyor belt I as shown and is provided at each endwith downward extensions 26,

leg portions 22 of the several turning devices are positioned in alignment with one another so as to form a guide lane for the bottles extending diagonally across belt l from the deflecting members 20, the spacing of these turning devices being sufficiently close to properly guide the bottles across the belt.

When, however, link member 28 is shifted to the position shown in 6, the article turning devices 2! are pivoted to angular positions in which the leg portions 22 are approximately parallel with the path of travel of conveyor belt I so that the bottles are individually rotated on their vertical axes and released by the turning devices and allowed to move forward on the surface of belt i. The bottles move in parallel relation but in staggered position to each other caused by the angular arrangement of the turning devices across the conveyor. Guides 8 are extended at their right ends into close proximity to the respective turning devices 2|. The end portions of these guides are spread somewhat apart from one another corresponding with the difference between the major and minor axes of the articles, that is the width andthickness of the bottles.

In order to actuate operating link 2850 as to cause successive bottles to be distributed into each of the six lanes 9 and thereby supply continuous rows of bottles to these lines, the. mechanism shown in detail in Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive is provided. This mechanism comprises-suitable operative connections between operating link 28 and a continuously rotating cam 29-, and appropriate latching and detector devices to c'ausethe pivoting movement'of the article turning devices 2! only when a full line of bottles has moved across the belt, that is only when each of the turning devices has received a bottle.

Cam 29 is continuously rotated by a sprocket and chain'co'nnection with slow speed shaft 6 of the speed reducer 5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Cooperating with cam 29 is a follower roller 35 at the end of a short arm 3iv which in turn is pinned to the lower end of a vertical rock shaft 32 (Fig. 2). This rock shaft is suitably supported in brackets 33 fixed to one of the end extensions 25 of supporting plate 25.

At the upper end of shaft 32 there is a longer arm 34 which is. pinned to the shaft and connected at its outer end by means of a shortlink 35 to actuate operating link 28. .A helical spring 35 surrounds shaft 32, its ends being connected, one'to the upper bracket. 33 and the other to the shaft so as to biasroller 36 into engagement with cam 29. Thus the movement of the article turning devices 2! to turn and release the bottles is caused by the spring. and theresetting movement of the turning devices is caused by the cam.

Inorder to control the operation of the turning devices so that they will pivot at the proper time, a latch member 31 (Figs. 3 and 4) is; provided. This latch is pivoted to. a lug 38 on the upper surface of supporting plate 25 andthe end of the latch is arranged to engage a shoulder 3-9 which is positioned on the lower surface, of link Thus when latch 31 engages shoulder '39 and the low part of cam 29 rotates oppositevfollower roller 30, the roller leaves the surface of the cam, link 28 and its connected parts being held by the latch against the biasing tendency of spring 36. However when roller- 3fl is; again engaged by the high portion of cam 29 the parts are shifted slightly moving link 2 8 and shoulder 39 to the right so that the shoulder just releases the end of tthe latch, in which position the latch can be moved by a very small force. If on the next rotation 01' cam 29 latch 37 is still in its upper position shoulder 39 again engages it and no movement of the turning devices 2| takes place; if however, latch 37 has been lowered out of the path of shoulder 39 a movement of the turning devices will take place.

For the purpose of actuating latch 31 a detector button 40 is arranged to be actuated by bottle 4| which is the bottle at the head of the diagonal line within the series of turning devices 2|. Button 49 slides in an aperture at the lower end of a hollow tapered support 42, the upper end of thissupport being secured by welding or otherwise to the bottom of supporting plate 25. The rear end of button 40 engages a slender upright arm 43 which is fixed at its upper end to a short pivot shaft 44. Shaft 44 is mounted in the upper section of tapered support 42 which is slotted at the rear as shown in Fig. 8 to receive arm 43.

Shaft 44 extends, as shown in Fig. 8, beneath link 29 and has a short arm 45 pinned to its outer end. Arm 45 has a yielding pin, slot and spring connection with a vertical link 46 which is connected at its upper end to actuate latch 37 through its tail portion 41. The yielding connection just referred to consists of a pin 48 on arm 45 which operates in a slot 49, in link 49, and a tension spring 50 whose upper end is connected to pin 49 and lower end to link 46. Spring 59 therefore tends to retain pin 48 at the lower end of slot 49.

In Fig. 3 the foremost bottle 4| is just contacting detector button 40. In Fig. 5 bottle 4| has moved to its final position within its turning device 2| and has shifted detector button 49 and lever 43 thereby causing pin 48 to move away from the bottom of slot 49 and tensioning spring 59, it being assumed that shoulder 39 is in engagement with latch 31. The pressure of bottle 4| against detector 4|] is insufficient to dislodge the latch from shoulder 39, but is enough to place spring 59 under tension.

Therefore when the rotation of cam 29 shifts shoulder 99 slightly from the end of latch 31, the force of spring 59 will raise link 46 and lower latch 31 out of the path of shoulder 39. Consequently as soon as roller 30 rolls onto the lower portion of cam 29 link 28 and shoulder 29 will shift to the left as shown in Fig. 7. The resulting turning movement of the turning device 2| will cause bottle 4| promptly to be advanced by conveyor I out of its turning device so that detector button 49 will be immediately returned to its original position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7.

This return movement is occasioned by a coil spring 5| which surrounds shaft 44 and is op.- eratively arranged to rotate this shaft in a direction to move the lower end of lever 43 towards the right. It will be understood that spring 59 is under tension under all conditions and that it serves to return latch 3'1 into engagement with shoulder 39 as soon as the shoulder has moved back toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 9 a modified form of the apparatus is shown in which two balanced lines of bottles are simultaneously divided, each into a plurality of lines, in this case four. The two balanced lines of bottles are indicated by numerals 52 and 53 and they move forward on a supply conveyor Mia and are delivered onto the surface of a wide belt conveyor It: at its center. In fact the guide 54 which separates the two lines 52 and 53 is continued over the center of belt la and serves as the guide 8a which separates the two central lanes on this conveyor.

Each of the two bottle lines 52 and 53 is provided with a bottle dividing mechanism of the type previously described except that it is arranged to divide each of the single lines into four separatelines, instead of six. These two dividing mechanisms are supported on a V-shaped supporting plate 25a and the legs of this plate are arranged at an angle of 30 to the center line of conveyor la. Accordingly, the two diagonal bottlelanes formed by the turning devices 2|a and 2 lb of this modified mechanism are each positioned at this 30 angle, instead of the 45 angle shown in the previous figures of the drawings.

Bottle turning devices 2|a and 21b are simultaneously operated by means of two cams 29a and 29b which are keyed to the same cross shaft 55. These two cams are mounted on shaft 55 in such position as to cause the operation of links 28a and 28b simultaneously, thus bringing about the operation of the two dividing mechanisms in unison. Stationary deflector members 20a and 201) are mounted on the center guide 54 to turn the two lines of bottles in opposite directions toward their respective diagonal lanes formed by the turning devices 2|a and 2|b.

It will be understood that the two embodiments of the bottle dividing mechanism of the invention have been shown and described to illustrate its principle of operation. and that changes in the constructions illustrated may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for changing a single line of oblong articles into a plurality of lines, a conveyor, means for feeding articles thereto in a single line, a device for deflecting said line of articles crosswise of the conveyor to form an oblique line, and mechanism for maintaining the articles in said oblique line until a complete row is formed and for thereafter simultaneously turning the individual articles of said row to align them with the direction of movement of the conveyor, said turning movement causing the articles to be released and carried forward by the conveyor in a plurality of lines.

2. In apparatus for changing a single line of oblong articles into a plurality of lines, a conveyor, means for feeding such articles thereto in a single line, a deflector for directing said line of articles obliquely across said conveyor, article-turning devices for individually turning articles of said oblique line, and mechanically operated means for turning said devices substantially simultaneously thereby causing the turned articles to be released therefrom and to advance in a plurality of spaced rows on said conveyor.

3. In apparatus for changing a single line of oblong articles into a plurality of lines, a conveyor, means for feeding such articles thereto in a single line, a deflector for directing said line of articles obliquely of the conveyor, a plurality of article-turning devices for turning individual articles on their respective vertical axes, mechanism for turning said devices substantially in unison from positions oblique with respect to said conveyor to positions in line with the path of movement thereof, said turning devices when in said oblique positions forming a series of guides.

extending obliquely of said conveyor to, receive the-line of articles from said deflecting device to'form an oblique row, and detector means arranged to be actuated by the foremost article in said oblique row for effecting the operation of said turning mechanism and causing the articles of said oblique row to advance in parallel spaced relation on said conveyor. 7

4. In apparatus for changing a single line of oblong articles into a plurality of lines, a conveyor, a plurality of article-turning devices disposed above said conveyor for turning individual articles on their respective vertical axes, a common operating mechanism operatively connected with said respective devices for turning said devices from positions oblique with respect to I said conveyor to positions in linewith the path of movement thereof, said turning" devices when in said oblique positions forming a row of guides extending obliquely of said conveyor, feeding mechanism for supplying articles to said row of guides and detector means arranged to be actuated by the foremost article in said oblique row for effecting the operation of said common operating mechanism and causing the articles" of said oblique row to advance in parallel spaced relation on said conveyor.

a 8 rality of lines, a plurality of article-turning devices disposed abovesaid conveyor for turning individual articles on their respective vertical 'axes, a common operating mechanism operatively connected'with said respective devices for turning said devices from positions oblique with respect to said conveyor to positions registering respectively with the spaces between said guides, said turning devices when in 'said oblique positions forming a row of guidesextending obliquely of said conveyor, means for supplying articles to said row of guides, and detector means arranged to be actuated by the foremost article in said oblique row for effecting the operation of said common operating mechanism and causing the articles of said oblique row advance on said conveyor between said spaced guides. 7

8. In apparatus for changing a single line of oblong articles into a plurality of lines, a conveyor constructed and arranged to propel the 5. In apparatus for changing a single line of Y oblong articles into aplurality of lines, a conveyor, a plurality of article-turning devices mounted above said conveyor, each of said devices'comprising a pair of leg members adapted to receive the sides of an oblong article between them, and each having a pivot for rotation in.

the horizontal direction, bearings for said pivots to support said turning devices in a row extenda ing obliquely of said conveyor, connections between said turning devices to cause them to turn in unison on their respective pivots, tnelegs of said devices when turned parallel with the center line of said row "forming: a channel to receive a line of articles, feeding mechanism for'supplying articles to-sa-id channel, and mechanism for turning said devices to: place the legs thereof parallel with thedirection of movement of said conveyor thereby allowing said articles to ad vance on said conveyor.

6. In apparatus for'changing a single line of oblong articles into a plurality of lines, a conveyor constructed and'arranged to propel the articles thereon by frictional engagement therewith, a plurality of spaced guides disposed above said conveyor to guide the articles in said plu rality of lines, a plurality of article tnrning de vices disposed above said conveyor'for turning individual articles on' their respective vertical axes, a. common operating mechanism operatively connected with saidvv respective devices for turning said devices from positions: oblique.

with respect to said conveyor to positions reg istering respectively with the spacesbetween said guides, said turning devices when in said oblique positions forming a row of guides extending obliquely of said conveyor, and means for supplying articles to saidrow of guides. r

7. An apparatus for changing a single line of oblong articles; into aplurality of; lines, a conveyor constructed and arranged to propel the articles thereon by frictional engagement therewith, a plurality of spaced guides disposed above articles thereon by frictional engagement there'- with, a plurality of article turning devices dis-'- posed above said conveyor in a'row extending obliquely thereof, said devices when turned into alignment with said row forming a row of article guides extending obliquely of said conveyor, means for supplying articles to said row of guides, and a common operating mechanism operatiyely connected with said respective devices for turning said devices into parallelism with the path said conveyor to guide the articles in said plu- V of movement of said conveyor to allow the articles to advance on said conveyor in parallel rows. I

9. Apparatus for changing a single line of oblong articles into a plurality of lines as set forth in claim 2 in which the article-turning devices each consist of a pair of spaced parallel plates for engaging the opposite sides of the article and a vertically disposed'supporting shaft therefor mounted for rocking movement about the conveyor. I

10. Apparatus for changing a single" line of oblong articles into a plurality of lines as set forth in claim 2 in which the article-turning devices each consist of a pair of inverted U- shaped members for engaging the opposite sides of the article and a vertically disposed supporting shaft therefor mounted for rocking movement above the conveyor. a

11. In apparatus for changing a single line of oblong articles into a plurality of lines, a conveyor constructed and arranged to propel the articles thereon by frictional engagement therewith, a plurality of article-turning devices for turning individual articles on said conveyor comprising a plurality of spaced parallel vertical shafts, means for supporting said shafts for rocking movement above said conveyor, each of said shafts having fixed to its lower end a pair of spaced parallel plates disposed to engage the opposite sides of an article on said conveyor, and means for rocking said shafts in unison.

. LUDWTG WIMMER.

Number Name Date McNamara et al. Nov. 28, 1944 

